The 8.6 Blackout cartridge is a recent addition to the market, introduced in 2022 by Q, LCC. At its core, the cartridge utilizes a .338 caliber projectile with a shortened 6.5 Creedmoor case and is optimized for use in short barrels. Specifically, the round is at home in firearms with barrel lengths ranging from 9” to 12”. The use of a 6.5 Creedmoor case allows the cartridge to be utilized in magazines designed for the .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor without reducing capacity. The cartridge features a manageable and tame recoil impulse, something not normally associated with rounds utilizing a .338 projectile. Heavier projectile weights allow the cartridge to be loaded to subsonic specs, purpose built for suppression. The loadings with grain weights of 300 grains and higher are particularly optimal for this use as they ensure velocities stay subsonic even out of some of the longer barrels on the market.
While there are significantly less options available, one can still find firearms chambered in 8.6 Blackout on the market today. One can find complete offerings from companies such as Q and Faxon Firearms in both bolt action and semi-automatic form. Faxon in particular also offers barrels for bolt action rifles and AR-10s in the caliber. With what is commercially available today, one can buy or build a rifle or pistol in 8.6 Blackout.
